Rowlock.



PATENTBD NOV. '7, 1905.

C. A. WOOD. ROWLOGK.

APPLIcATIoN FILED M120, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROWLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. *7, 1905.

Application iiled January 20, 1905. Serial No. 241,990-

To all whom, t 71cm/ concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. Woon, of Middleboro, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rowlocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements made in oar-locks or rowlocks of that class or kind which are constructed with a view to be shifted or turned into and out of working position while still remaining permanently attached to the boat; and the improvements constituting my invention consist of a bracket secured to the top and inside of the gunwale of a boat and a rowlock-holder in which a rowlock is permanently secured so as to be capable of a swiveling motion, the holder itself having provisions by which it may be locked so as to retain the rowlock in upright position and also being capable of swinging pivotally to bring the rowlock out of the way inside the boat without requiring its detachment from the gunwale of the boat.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Of the drawings, Figure l represents an elevation of a portion of the inner side of the gunwale of a boat, showing my improved rowlock connected thereto. Fig. 2 represents a vertical cross-section of the same. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view showing the rowlock-holder iny an intermediate position, the one which it will occupy while being turned either into or out of operative upright position. Fig. A represents a plan view of the device, the rowlock-shank being shown in section. Fig. 5 represents a perspective View of the pivoted rowlock-holder. Fig. 6 represents a perspective view showing an attachment by which the rowlock and holder may be locked to the bracket 'and prevented from rising out of operative position. Fig. 7 represents a sectional view of the same. Fig. 8 represents a view similar to Fig. 4, showing the said attachment. Figs. 9 and 10 represent, respectively, a sectional View and a plan view similar to Figs. 7 and 8, showing a slightly-modified locking attachment. Fig.

ll represents a sectional view showing the rowlock and its holder inverted, as it will be when not in use. i

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the gures.

In the drawings, a represents the rowlock; Z), its shank; c, a post or holder therefor, and

g the bracket, having anges or ribs ff. The shank b is cylindrical and is rotatably mounted in the holder c, being retained therein so as to be swivelly movable by a pin (Z, mounted in the holder and extending into a groove e, formed about the shank The iianges f form, with the apron g/ of the bracket, three sides of a socket open at both ends and at the front, in which the holder c is held by means of a pivot-pin it, held in the flanges f and extending across the socket and through a hole j' in the holder. is formed as an elongated slot, having curved ends, of which the lower one is concentric with the cylindrical end portion of the holder c, and the thickness of the material of the holder between the bottom of the slot and exterior of the holder is preferably substantially the same as the distance between the apron g, constituting the rear wall of the socket, and the adjacent portion of the pivot-pin. Thus when the rowlock and holder are elevated so that the pivot-pin occupies a position at the bottom of slot j the bottom portion of the holder is capable of passing between the pivot-pin and wall g, so that the holder can be turned about its pivot to bring the holder and ro wlock from the upright position (shown in Figs. l and 2) into an inverted position, with the rowock hanging vertically downward from the pivot. When, however, the holder is in an upright position and lowered until the pivot-pin occupies the upper extremity of the slot, the lower portion of the holder extends below the pivot-pin a greater distance than that between the pin and wall g', so that this portion of the holder constitutes a locking projection which prevents rotation of the holder and rowlock. It will be seen, therefore, that the holder has both a pivotal motion and a translatory bodily motion in a straight line with respect to the pivot, this arrangement enabling the holder to be locked when it is upright and also to be swung from an upright to an inverted position.

An additional locking means for rigidly retaining the holder and rowlock in the upright position is furnished by the T-shaped projection or flange Z, formed upon the holder, which is adapted to seat in a socket portion m of the bracket and the ends of which engage shoulders a, formed adjacent the ends of the socket. These interlocking projections, as will be evident, rigidly prevent the holder from moving away from the bracket and co- The hole j IOO IIO

operate with the lower locking projection to hold it rigidly in the operative position it occupies when the rowlocks are in use.

When it is desired to move the rowlocks out of the way where they will not be liable of fouling other boats, ropes, Sac., the rowlock is first elevated a sufficient distance both to remove the locking projection Z from the socket and also bring the lower part of slot 1o j up to the pivot-pin and is then swung about the pivot into a position in which it hangs vertically downward from the pivot. If desired, a chamber may be formed in the lower part of the holder and a spring inserted therein, where it will bear against the pivotpin and assist in retaining the holder locked in the position shown in Figs. l and 2. The pivot la is provided with enlarged heads z', one of which may be detachably connected, so that the pivot may be removed, when necessary, to detach the holder.

In Figs. 6 to 10, inclusive, I have shown devices by which the rowlock may be additionally locked and prevented from jumping upward while rowing in rough water. This locking device consists in Figs. 6 to 8 of an annular flange 7, mounted upon the bracket which projects over and engages the upper surface of a iange p, mounted upon the rowlock-shank above the holder c. Both of these flanges are slightly less in extent than half the circumference of a circle, so that they may be turned into a position in which they do not engage, and when in such position the rowlock and holder can be raised sufficiently to permit the swinging of the holder about the pivot above described.

In Figs. 9 and 10 in place of a substantially semicircular flange r for engaging and locking the flange j) there is provided a single hook-shaped engaging device s, which is connected tothe horizontal web of the bracket and placed so as to extend over the iiange p. In order to place this device in the position for use, the bracket is securely mounted upon the gunwale of a boat, with the apron g seated on the inner side of the gunwale @and the web g2 upon the top thereof.

It will be seen that by my invention Ihave provided a device which can very readily be attached at any point desired to a boat and one which will permit the rowlock to be placed in position for use and removed out of the way very readily, while at the same time enabling the rowlock to be very securely held when it is in use. With this construction danger of theft of the rowlock is very slight, as it cannot be removed without demolishing the holder, which would require some effort.

As the rowlock-holder has no laterally-projecting portions and is arranged to depend vertically from the pivot when turned into non-operative position, as seen in Fig. ll, it extends no farther inward from the side of the boat when in this position than when in upright operative position, and thus exhibits a marked improvement over former devices of this general character, in which the rowlock-holder is adapted to turn about a buttressed hinge projecting into the boat a considerable distance, so that when the rowlock is turned away from the upright position on the gunwale it extends so far into the boat as to be very much in the way and to interfere with the comfort of the occupants of the boat and to menace the safety of their wearing-apparel.

I claim- 1. The combination of a rowlock, a post or holder therefor, and a bracket, the rowlock being swivelly connected to the holder, and

the holder being slidingly and pivotally connected to the bracket.

2. The combination of a rowlock, a holder therefor, a bracket, a pivotal connection between the bracket and holder, said connection being arranged to permit movement of the holder bodily with respect to the bracket, and interlocking members carried by the holder and bracket.

3. The combination of abracket, arowlockholder pivoted thereto and movable bodily in a straight line with respect to its pivot to lock and unlock the same, and a rowlock swivelly mounted in the holder.

4. The combination of a bracket, a rowlockholder pivoted thereto and movable bodilyl in a straight line with respect to its pivot to lock and unlock the same, a rowlock swivelly mounted in the holder, and interlockingmembers upon the holder and bracket arranged for coperation to retain the holder in upright position.

5. The combination of a bracket, a rowlockholder pivoted thereto and movable bodily in a straight line with respect to its pivot to lock and unlock the same, a rowlock swivelly mounted in the holder, and cooperating locking devices mounted on the rowlock and bracket and arranged for engagement to prevent translatory motion of the rowlock relatively to the bracket.

6. The combination of abracket, a rowlockholder pivoted thereto and movable bodily in a straight line with respect to its pivot to lock and unlock the same, a rowlock swivelly mounted in the holder, interlocking members upon the holder and bracket arranged for cooperation to retain the holder in upright position, and coperating locking devices mounted on the rowlock and bracket and arranged for engagement to prevent translatory motion of the rowlock relatively to the bracket.

7. The combination of a bracket, a rowlockholder pivoted thereto, and arowlock having its shank swivelly mounted in the holder, the pivot of the holder and the rowlock-shank having their axes arranged perpendicular to each other and in the same plane.

8. The combination of a bracket having a ,TOO

IIO

socket open at the ends and at one side, a rowlock-holder adapted to occupy the socket and provided with an elongated slot, a rowlock supported by said holder, and a pivot-pin eX- tending across said socket and through said slot, the holder and rowlock being movable about said pivot-pin vfrom an upright to an inverted position and the pin being adapted to occupy the upper portion of the slot when the holder and rowlock are upright.

9. The combination of a bracket having an apron and lateral ribs forming an open-sided socket, a pivot-pin mounted in said ribs eX- tending across the socket, a rowlock-holder CHARLES A. WOOD. Witnesses:

A. C. RATIGAN, A. H. BROWN. 

